Some Lawyers under the Rivers State Local Government Service Commission, have filed a suit before the National Industrial Court sitting in Port Harcourt against the State government, Attorney General of the state, Local Government Services Commission and Former Chairman of the Commission Azubuike Nmerukini, Challenging the disparity in the salary scheme.
The angry lawyers who are been paid fifty thousand naira monthly are praying they be placed on the same salary structure as their counterparts in the Ministry of Justice, House of Assembly and other state government departments.
During the proceeding, the Attorney General of the State Zacchaeus Adangor challenged the application on the grounds that lawyers in question are not law Officers.
The Claimants Counsel brought an application for summary judgment because the Defendants do not have a Defence, raising an objection that the Attorney General who is the 3rd Defendant in the case cannot represent himself and other parties in the suit.
The presiding Judge, Justice Polycarp Aman, after listening to Counsels in the matter adjourned to 16th March, for ruling on the application of summary judgment.
In an interview with our correspondent, Attorney General of the state, Zacchaeus Adangor, said they have filed their process and are asking the court to dismiss the application filed by the Claimant Counsel seeking summary judgment.
“Although the Claimants are lawyers, they are not Law Officers. law officers are lawyers employed in the Ministry of Justice. if you are a lawyer employed by the state government and you are not in the Ministry of Justice, you are a legal officer and not a law officer, so cannot enjoy the same salary structure meant for law officers. the court will rule on that application”
On his part, Claimants’ Counsel OC Higher-King, said it is an injustice to treat lawyers differently or place them on a separate salary structure after upgrading them to higher levels.
“These lawyers working in the twenty-Three (23) local government area of Rivers State, initially some were employed as low as grade level (02), grade (04) watchmen, clerical officers. Along the line, they discovered they were lawyers and upgraded them to grade level (10) grade (15) and the lawyers were been paid salary according to the upgrade.
“Years later, some people in the same Ministry stopped the payment, it was the then Chairman of local government Service Commission, Azubuike Nmerukini, I do not know why lawyers should be treated differently. A lawyer is a lawyer anywhere in the world, that is why we are in court. It is injustice, it is unfair.
“Now that we are in cour, a document came out to say that the upgrade was withdrawn. How you withdrew it, you can say a thing today and say another thing tomorrow. We believe that the court will give us justice”
The Claimants’ Counsel also said it is against the law for the Attorney General of the state to represent other Defendant in the matter.
“We are saying the Attorney General cannot represent himself and others in the same suit. The law is very clear in our rules of professional conduct, that a lawyer in a matter whether he/she is Claimant cannot represent other Claimants. If you are a Defendant you cannot represent other Defendants.
“The Attorney General is the 3rd Defendant in the case and he is representing himself and other parties and we are saying he cannot do that. The law did not make a distinction between Attorney General or Professor SAN, it says a legal Practitioner shall not represent himself and others in the same suit, it is either he represents himself alone and other lawyers will come and represent other Defendants in the case.”
